RT @tndotcom: Tennessee Titans sue Lane Kiffin, USC for interfering with the contract of running backs coach Kennedy Pola http://tnne.ws/2ff
RT @tndotcom: Tennessee Titans sue Lane Kiffin, USC for interfering with the contract of running backs coach Kennedy Pola http://tnne.ws/2ff
Wow, seriously??
Funny…when I saw the link I expected it to take me to an “Onion” story. At best, Tenn could get some kind of monetary award….but damages would be hard to prove I suspect…perhaps there is some kind of liquidated damages clause in Pola’s contract with Tenn.
Have not yet seen the actual law suit…but the report seems to say that the lawsuit is not against Pola…only against USC and Kiffin. But it is supposedly based on a clause in Pola’s contract that says Pola had to have written permission from Fisher to talk to others about a new job. So unless USC somehow knew this, then I don’t think Tenn has much of a shot against USC. Wonder why they did not sue Pola too….though it is possible the actual suit does name him but that the news story omits that fact.
I’m confused, under what authority do the Titans have to sue USC/Kiffin. There was no contract between SC and the Titans was there? I mean I could be wrong, maybe there was, but it seems like Pola is the person who would be at fault for violating his contract. Whether or not Kiffin did something that was tasteless and classless is one thing, but it just doesn’t seem like something like this should be a sueable offense. Any of you lawyer folk want to jump in and explain that a bit?
Also, man oh man, if I’m the new AD do I hate Mike Garrett for saddling me with Kiffin. The guy has been nothing but trouble since day one.
I’ve read elsewhere that if this lawsuit was intended to be taken seriously by USC, it’d need to be filed in a federal court, but in fact this was filed in a Tennessee court. Brendan, can you speak to this?
The argument is that USC knew of Pola’s contract and intentionally intefered with it in violation of a Tennessee statute. The Titans claim jurisidiction in the State of Tennessee on various grounds including the fact that Kiffin hired lots of coaches from the university, USC and Kiffin recruit there, etc. My initial reaction is that is a very weak link and may not be enough to get jurisdiction over USC and Kiffin. Also it is interesting that Pola was not sued at all. And by the way wasn’t Pola hired by Tenn from another job in the NFL where he was under contract….if so that would certainly undercut the Tenn. claims. Of course I could be wrong…but I have grave doubts about whether this case will go very far at all….and still think it would be best in the Onion.
Also, man oh man, if I’m the new AD do I hate Mike Garrett for saddling me with Kiffin. The guy has been nothing but trouble since day one.
The new man, Pat Haden, was on the search committee that hired Kiffin.